The Road to Silver Soul Fighter (I)

He paused, his tone becoming more serious. "The competition is extremely fierce. Teams like those from the Balak Kingdom and the Silves Kingdom are all quite strong, and every year there are dark horses that pull off upsets in the qualifiers."

"What about us?" Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow. "Aren't we a seeded team, so we don't need to play in the qualifiers?"

"There are conditions for securing a guaranteed admission spot," Qin Ming said, looking at everyone. "As long as our team reaches the Silver Soul Fighter Great Soul Arena level before submitting the application, we can get a guaranteed admission spot to the academy, skipping the preliminaries and advancing directly to the main competition."

"Silver Soul Fighter..." Yu Tianheng murmured, his eyes lighting up.

"It's not just about not having to play in the qualifiers," Qin Ming smiled. "With the guaranteed spot, we can go to the qualifiers in advance to watch the matches and find out the strengths and weaknesses of our opponents from other regions. We can also learn about the seeded players from each kingdom beforehand. Knowing your enemy and yourself will make the main competition much easier."

These words immediately piqued the interest of everyone present.

Knowing your opponent in advance means you can prepare accordingly, which is a huge advantage.

"Then what are we waiting for!" Shi Mo clenched his fist and said in a deep voice, "Let's hurry up and play the team matches, and climb the ranks! With Lin Chen on the team, how can we not beat the Bronze Soul Fighter team?"

"It's not that easy." Qin Ming shook his head. "To advance from Bronze Soul Fighter to Silver Soul Fighter, you need to win against strong teams to gain points quickly. Also, team matches have a low margin for error; losing a match will result in a significant drop in points. However..."

He looked at Lin Chen, a smile in his eyes, "Now that Lin Chen and Xiao Wu are back, our complete lineup is in place, and our chances of advancing to Silver Soul Fighter are indeed much greater."

All eyes were on Lin Chen.

Four months ago, this same young man led the Imperial Fighting Team to a stunning comeback victory against a much stronger opponent, making him an instant sensation.

He's back now, and he's even stronger than before.

"No problem." Lin Chen nodded slightly, his tone calm but firm. "Starting tomorrow, we'll play team matches. Reach the Silver Soul Fighter as quickly as possible."

He needs the stage of the All-Continent Tournament.

It's not just about testing your own cultivation progress, but also about meeting those legendary geniuses— Tang San, the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, and those lurking forces from all sides.

"Alright!" Yu Tianheng laughed heartily. "Then it's settled! Starting tomorrow, we'll be in the Great Soul Arena every day! We won't stop until we reach the Silver Soul Fighter!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.

Four months of waiting, four months of individual honing, all for this moment.

Imperial Fighting Team, with its complete roster, reunites.

Goal: Silver Soul Fighter, guaranteed spot in the All-Continent Tournament!

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, before the magnificent gates of the Heaven Dou Great Soul Arena were fully open, the area in front of the notice board at the entrance was already packed with people.

The manager personally carried a notice and carefully climbed a ladder to post it on the bulletin board.

The moment the large, flowing characters were finished, a buzz of excitement erupted from below, as if a pot of boiling water had been poured over the heads of the crowd.

"Imperial Fighting Team restarts team matches tonight?!"

"Lin Chen? Xiao Wu? That genius who disappeared for four months has finally returned?"

People in the front row stood on tiptoe, straining to see the notice, afraid of missing a single name; those in the back, unable to get in, shouted at the top of their lungs, "What does it say? Read it aloud!" In an instant, the crowd surged, and the noise was deafening.

Four months ago, the Imperial Fighting Team's comeback against a much stronger opponent is still a legendary tale talked about in the Great Soul Arena.

Lin Chen, a level 37 Soul Elder, single-handedly controlled the battlefield, completely dominating his team and pinning the powerful Eight Desolations Battle Team of the Bronze Soul Fighter Arena to the ground, making them unable to recover. He achieved legendary status in one battle.

After that night, the name Lin Chen was etched into the hearts of many Soul Master in Heaven Dou City.

But just as he became famous, he disappeared. It is said that he was personally taken away by Poison Douluo Dugu Bo to go into seclusion, without even letting out a whisper.

Some say his talent has reached a bottleneck, and seclusion is of no use; others say he has received an incredible stroke of luck, and his cultivation has probably already advanced by leaps and bounds.

Opinions varied widely, and the debate raged for four whole months.

No one expected that they would suddenly return today and even restart the team competition.

"He hasn't shown his face for four months, and then he comes out to play a match—does that mean he's confident?"

"Of course! Haven't you heard? Dugu Bo personally led the training; how could it be anything less? I bet he's at least level 40!"

"Give me a break. Three levels in four months? Do you think Soul Master up is as easy as eating and drinking? In my opinion, level 39 is the absolute maximum."

The crowd was buzzing with excitement. Some were betting on cultivation levels, some on the outcome of the competition, and others were simply there for the spectacle. The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire Heaven Dou City.

Long queues had formed early in the morning at the ticket booths of the Great Soul Arena.

"Give me two front-row tickets! I want the Imperial Fighting match!"

"I'm sorry, young master, the front row tickets are all sold out. Only the back rows have seats left. What do you think—"

"Back row seats too! Three of them, please!"

The clerk at the ticket window was sweating profusely, secretly astonished. Only an hour after sales began, tonight's tickets were almost sold out, even standing room only. Scalpers were offering more than double the price, yet there were still no buyers.

Many teams at the Bronze Soul Fighter level began adjusting their tactics overnight. The Imperial Fighting Team was already a strong team among the Bronze Soul Fighter, and now that Lin Chen had returned, it was like adding wings to a tiger. Tonight's first match would be a disaster for whoever ran into him.

As the sun rose higher, the Great Soul Arena was filled with a fiery atmosphere.

While the Great Soul Arena was bustling with activity, Lin Chen and Xiao Wu were already seated in the Listening Wind Pavilion on the back street of the auction house.

Listening Wind Pavilion is a property of the Azure Wind Sect. It faces the street, yet it is quiet amidst the hustle and bustle. In the private rooms on the second floor, the wooden windows are half-open, and the flow of people coming and going on the street becomes a moving picture.

A freshly brewed cup of refreshing tea sits on the table, its fragrant aroma rising from the rim of the cup and dispersing into a wisp of mist in the afternoon light.

A man in a brocade robe sat at the table. He was fair-skinned and slightly plump, with a amiable expression on his face. He sat upright, but glanced at the stairwell every now and then. The tea in front of him had long since gone cold, but he hadn't bothered to take a sip.

It was Wang Xiao, the deputy sect leader of the Azure Wind Sect.

As soon as footsteps sounded at the top of the stairs, he immediately stood up, a broad smile on his face, and hurried over to greet them, "Young Master Lin, Miss Xiao Wu, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for quite some time."

"Sect Leader Wang, you're too kind." Lin Chen nodded slightly and led Xiao Wu to sit down.

"Young Master Lin is too kind." Wang Xiao personally poured hot tea for the two of them, his admiration genuine.

"The tempering method you gave us before was truly miraculous! We tried it out when we got back, and the yield of refined iron ore increased by 30%! In the past four months, Azure Wind Sect's refined steel production has increased by half, and many forges are scrambling to buy our products. Business is booming. To be honest, this is Azure Wind Sect's most successful deal in the past decade."